A Turkish Air Force C-130E Hercules transport aircraft experienced a catastrophic structural failure and broke apart in mid-air on November 11, 2025, while flying over Georgia. The aircraft, identified as registration 68-01609, was en route from Ganja International Airport in Azerbaijan to Merzifon Air Base in Turkey when the incident occurred. Tragically, all 20 military personnel on board are believed to have perished in the crash, which scattered wreckage across a hilly region near the Azerbaijan-Georgia border.
The ill-fated flight, operating under the callsign TUAF543, departed Azerbaijan and climbed to its cruising altitude of 24,000 feet. Shortly after entering Georgian airspace, the aircraft disappeared from radar without issuing a distress signal. Video footage circulating on social media appears to show the C-130E breaking into multiple pieces, including the cockpit and tail section separating from the main fuselage, before spiraling towards the ground.
Turkish authorities have confirmed the incident and the loss of life, with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressing deep sorrow. Joint investigation teams from Turkey, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, with support from Lockheed Martin, the aircraft’s manufacturer, have been deployed to the crash site. The black box recorder has been recovered, and an investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the disaster.
While the official cause remains undetermined, preliminary investigations are examining several potential factors, including structural or mechanical failure, possibly due to metal fatigue, given the aircraft’s age. The C-130E involved was approximately 57 years old, having been manufactured in 1968 and previously operated by the Royal Saudi Air Force before entering Turkish service in 2010. The possibility of improper cargo loading is also being considered.
In the aftermath of the crash, the Turkish Air Force has grounded its entire fleet of C-130 aircraft for technical inspections. This incident marks one of the deadliest military aviation losses for Turkey in recent years and highlights concerns regarding the aging C-130 fleet, which has been a subject of discussion for over a decade due to known fatigue issues. Turkey has recently moved to acquire newer C-130J models from the Royal Air Force as part of a fleet renewal effort.
